The Aporia · Lanning decries ‘disgusting’ late hit that sends Oregon QB Dante Moore to hospital

Lanning decries ‘disgusting’ late hit that sends Oregon QB Dante Moore to hospital

Read the original at The Guardian ↗

Cite

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sport, G. (2026, September 27). Lanning decries ‘disgusting’ late hit that sends Oregon QB Dante Moore to hospital. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/27/dante-moore-late-hit-hospital-oregon-usc-college-football

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Dan Lanning, Oregon's head coach, strongly condemned a late hit that injured starting quarterback Dante Moore during their game against USC on Saturday. The incident occurred when Moore was tackled from behind by USC linebacker Desman Stephens II after attempting to slide, leading to a targeting penalty and Stephens' ejection. Moore was taken to the hospital but showed movement in all extremities, indicating no immediate paralysis. Both teams engaged in on-field skirmishes following the hit, resulting in penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Written by AI on 2026-09-27, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On September 26, USC faced off against Oregon in Los Angeles at the Coliseum. The game was highly anticipated as both teams entered with questions about their true potential after inconsistent performances earlier in the season. USC, ranked No. 12 and undefeated through four games but marred by defensive issues under new coordinator Gary Patterson, sought to prove itself a playoff contender. Oregon, coming off an 84-0 victory over Portland State but a loss to Oklahoma State, was favored as the No. 20 team.

Midway through the second quarter, Dante Moore, Oregon's quarterback, slid toward the USC sideline and received a vicious forearm hit from linebacker Desman Stephens II, leading to a chaotic scene on the field with players arguing and pushing each other. Moore had to be carted off in an ambulance, setting off concerns for his well-being as medical personnel tended to him.

Stephens was ejected for targeting while both teams were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the incident overshadowed any excitement on the field. The game resumed with Oregon's backup quarterback Dylan Raiola taking over, highlighting the unexpected drama that unfolded in a heated rivalry matchup. Despite the controversy, USC held a 7-3 lead after Moore’s injury, leaving fans and analysts to speculate about the long-term implications of such aggressive play in football.

Written for “USC vs Oregon Football Game” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 20 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 24 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-27 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Guardian · 1936 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 28 articles by Guardian sport →

Topics

Ducks Los Angeles Oregon Trojans USC

Subjects

Moore PERSON · 8× Lanning PERSON · 3× Oregon ORG · 3× Stephens PERSON · 3× Los Angeles GPE · 2× Raiola PERSON · 2× USC ORG · 2× Dan Lanning PERSON · 1× Dante Moore PERSON · 1× Ducks ORG · 1×

Narrative

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has decried a “disgusting play” that left his starting quarterback, Dante Moore, in hospital during the Ducks’ 41-27 win over USC.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-27

🔮 He had been predicted to be a top pick in this year’s NFL draft but chose to return to college.

2026-09-27 · The Guardian

Lanning decries ‘disgusting’ late hit that sends Oregon QB Dante Moore to hospital · assertive framing

Claims (24 extracted, 1 hedged)

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has decried a “disgusting play” that left his starting quarterback, Dante Moore, in hospital during the Ducks’ 41-27 win over USC. asserted

that → decry → USC

Moore was carted off the field after a late hit by Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II in the first half of Saturday’s game in Los Angeles. asserted

Moore → cart → Angeles

He was able to move his fingers and feet and rotate his arms, and was taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center, according to the NBC broadcast. uncertain

He → move → broadcast

An Oregon spokesperson later said that Moore had movement in all of his extremities and was being evaluated. asserted

Moore → say → extremities

“He’s in recovery, so I’m not going to speak too soon. asserted

I → ’ → recovery

But he is moving,” Lanning said after the game. asserted

Lanning → move → game

“He has the ability to move. asserted

He → have → ability

So we continue to assess him.” asserted

we → continue → him

During the play, Moore took off on a scramble. asserted

Moore → take → scramble

As he attempted to slide, he was hit in the head by Stephens, who was called for targeting and disqualified from the game. asserted

who → attempt → game

“It was a disgusting play,” Lanning said. asserted

Lanning → say → ?

“The energy changed. asserted

energy → change → ?

A lot of guys on the sideline, they were emotional in that moment, including myself. asserted

they → include → myself

“ Fights broke out between players after the hit as Moore lay on the ground, and both teams were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. asserted

teams → break → conduct

“Seeing him like that shook the whole team,” said Oregon backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, who replaced Moore for the rest of the game. asserted

who → see → game

“But at the same time, we knew that it was our brother, and we were gonna fight for him.” asserted

we → know → him

Moore was 8 of 10 passing for 77 yards, and Raiola was 19 of 25 for 289 yards and two touchdown passes. asserted

Raiola → pass → yards

After Stephens was ejected he watched the game from the sidelines. asserted

he → eject → sidelines

“He’s on our football team,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said when asked why Stephens was allowed on the sideline. asserted

Stephens → ’ → sideline

Riley also expressed his concern for Moore’s health at his postgame press conference, something Lanning said he appreciated. asserted

he → express → conference

Raiola said the incident had motivated his team. asserted

incident → say → team

“The wolf came out, and we made sure that our prey felt what we’d been preparing for all week,” he said. asserted

he → come → what

Moore was an All-Big Ten third-team selection last season, throwing for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as the team went 13-2. asserted

team → throw → yards

He had been predicted to be a top pick in this year’s NFL draft but chose to return to college. asserted

He → predict → college